The Last Hindus

In the 70's there were over 70,000 Afghan Hindus. Since then the number has dropped to an estimated 7,000.

Two Hindu women light a candles on the steps in front of Asyamee, a Hindu temple in Kabul, on 30 October 2016. The candles were lit in celebration of Diwali, a yearly festival of light. The culture amongst Afghan Hindus is similar to Pashtuns. The women who come to the temple pray seperately from the men and there are also seperate dining halls and kitchens.

Biharilal, who like many Afghans only goes by one name, prepares offerings to the gods inside Asyamee, a Hindu Temple in Kabul Afghanistan, on 9 December 2016. The offerings are left to honor the gods and show respect to the various dieties. Biharilal volunteers at Asyamee and occasionally leads prayers and performs other custodial duties throughout the temple grounds as needed.

A woman prays at a shrine in a Hindu Temple in Kabul Afghanistan on October 30th 2016.

Women gather for langar, a shared meal that is usually held to feed the under privileged but it is also an occasion for the congregation to gather after worship, on 9 December 2016. Afghan Hindus share cultural similarities to Pashtuns and have historically thrived in Pashtun majority provinces.

A Hindu man lights a candle on the steps in front of Asyamee, a Hindu temple in Kabul, on 30 October 2016. The candles were lit in celebration of Diwali, a yearly festival of light. Historically, Hinduism has thrived in Afghanistan, particularly in Pasthun areas. However, since the 70's the population of Hindus has steadily fallen according to Ehsan Shayegan, an Afghan researcher with Porsesh, who is focusing on minority religions in Afghanistan. There are only an estimated 7,000 Hindus remaining in Afghanistan, compared to 70,000 in the 70s.